Apparatus for packaging merchandise



J. E. GAUVREAU PPARATUS FOR PACKAGING MERCHANDISE Filed Dec. 22, 1952 3Sheets-Sheet l Joseph E. Gauvreaw.

ATTORNEY 1955 J. E. GAUVREAU 2,721,019

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING MERCHANDISE Filed Dec. 22, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2w U m g lag 1\ 5| 2 SI N k 9 '9 m l I d) a T3 II I l l I I I I.

INVENTOR/ JosephE Gauvr'eaw.

ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1955 J. E. GAUVREAU APPARATUS FOR PACKAGINGMERCHANDISE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ed Dec. 22, 1952 Jbseph E. Gauvreczw.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Somerville, Mass, assignor to E. F.Somerville, Mass., a corporation of Joseph E. Gauvreau,

Kemp Corp., Massachusetts Application December 22, 1952, Serial No.327,260

7 Claims. (Cl. 226-68) My present invention relates to an improvedmethod of, and apparatus for, packaging merchandise, and moreparticularly to an improved method of packaging nuts and similar fruit.

The invention is particularly important in the packaging of nuts andlike fruit, as such fruit rapidly turns rancid on exposure to ordinaryoxygen laden air.

The primary object of the invention therefore, is an improved method ofpackaging nuts and the like, and wherein the same are immersed in anatmosphere comprised of a non-oxygen, inert gas. The transition of thenuts to the non-oxygen inert gas takes place so quickly after thecooking of the nuts, that the danger of the nuts becoming rancid ispractically nil.

In the packaging process, the nuts are maintained in a non-oxygen, inertgas, then placed in a plastic container, weighed, and the container thensealed up, and finally the filled container is placed in a container,such as a box or carton, for sale to the buyer, thus assuring that thenuts are delivered to the consumer entirely free from rancidity.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred form of myimproved apparatus, and by means of which my improved method may bepractised.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, looking from the left in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, in section, showing the method ofassembling the frame parts of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings designates generally a substantiallyrectangular casing mounted at any convenient height on the legs 11. Thecasing 10 is preferably made of angle iron frame members 12 forming thesupporting elements of a number of transparent panels, so that theinterior of the casing is visible at all times. The panels arepreferably made of transparent Lucite, although any other suitablematerial may be employed. The angle iron frame members 12 are weldedinto panels (see Fig. 5) and the Lucite panels are secured to the angleiron 12 by wing bolts 13, a gasket 14 of sponge rubber, or itsequivalent, being used to hold the elements in position and in operativerelation with respect to each other.

On the top surface of the casing 10 is a cone-shaped hopper member 15,the smaller end of which is in communication with the interior of thecasing 10, while the upper end is closed. Extending through the upperclosed end of the hopper member 15 is one end of a pipe or tube 16 andthrough which may pass the shelled nuts to be packaged. The pipe or tube16 is connected to a source of supply of nuts to be packaged. To ensurecleanliness there is provided on the top of the cone shaped hoppermember 15, and communicating with the interior thereof, a hopper cleanout 17. This enables the operator to periodically clean out the hoppermember 15 and all parts associated therewith.

18 designates a pipe or conduit, leading from a source 2,721,019Patented Oct. 18, 1955 of supply (not shown) of an inert gas, such asnitrogen or helium, and under any desired pressure. Connected to thepipe 18 is a pipe 19 communicating with the interior of the hopper 15,and therefore a supply of an inert gas, under pressure, is supplied tothe hopper 15, and to the interior of the casing 10, at all times.

Within the rectangular casing 10, and below the hopper 15, is aframework 19a and on such framework, below the discharge end of thehopper 15, is a multi-chambered member 20. This chamber 20 is rotatablymounted, on a vertical axis, and is rotated at any desired speed bypower delivered through the motor 21. On the framework 19a, andextending downwardly therethrough, is a discharge tunnel or outlet 22.

On the front of the casing 10, in front of the multichambered member 20,is provided a removable closure member 23, which permits access to theinterior of the casing 10 at any time desired. Also, on the front of thecasing 10, below the removable closure member 23, are preferablycircular openings, and closing such openings are cone-shaped hollowmembers 25 of flexible, pliable material, as rubber. In effecting suchclosure, I preferably clamp the peripheral edge of the cone-shapedhollow members 25 to the outer face of the Lucite panel by means ofclamping rings 26, and the wing bolts 13. The operators forearms may beinserted through cone-shaped hollow members 25 into the interior of thecasing 10, where she controls the operation of the multi-chamber member20. The bags to be filled may be inserted into the inert gas filledcasing 10 through the member 27 provided with the removable cover 28.Such bags may be placed in a pile 29 on the floor of the casing 10within easy reach of the operator.

As shown, there are four cone-shaped hollow members 25, thus providingspace for two operators, acting as a team, for filling and sealing thebags containing the nuts. Such operators act as a team and therefore,each operator is enabled to use both hands in performing his or herduties, and surer, better and swifter work results.

When the operator-positioned at the leftas viewed in Fig. 2, fills a bagfrom the multi-chambered member 20, she places the same on the floor ofthe rectangular casing 10, and to the right, and into position to bereadily to be readily handled by the operator occupying the position atthe right of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Within the casing 10, in the position to be occupied by the secondoperator, is located a sealing device 25a, which seals the open end of afilled bag under heat and pressure, and by the act of the operator inpressing on the treadle 31. When the sealing operation is performed, theoperator drops the sealed bag into the chute 30, thus directing thesealed bag onto the conveyor 32, which deposits it on a table or othersupport and prior to its being shipped.

To ensure a non-oxygen atmosphere at all times in the enclosed portionsof the apparatus, I provide the tube or pipe 18 connected to a source ofsupply of any suitable inert gas and under suitable pressure. In thepipe 18 is located the usual pressure guage 33, and a control valve 34.From the pipe 18 inert gas flows through the pipe 19 into the funnel 15;also from the pipe 18 flows the gas through the pipes 35, 36, 37 and 38into the interior of the casing 10.

For the periodic testing of the inert gas to determine its fitness Iprovide a test valve 39, leading into the casing 10 and through which asample of the inert gas may be Withdrawn from the casing for testingpurposes.

In operation, the inert gas may be allowed to flow through the pipe 19,into the hopper 15 under slight pressure, until all traces of oxygenladen atmosphere is removed and forced from the casing 10.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for packaging material in a conditioned turestherethrough for the reception of the hands of an operator stationed onthe exterior of the chamber, flexible means attached to the said sidepanel for contacting an operators hands disposed in said apertures andfor sealing the apertures with the operators hand therein against thepassage of gas, and means for supplying a conditioned atmosphere to theinterior of the chamber.

2. An apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which the last mentioned meansis effective to continuously supply a conditioned atmosphere to theinterior of the chamber.

3. An apparatus for packaging materials in a conditioned atmospherecomprising a chamber having a top panel, a bottom panel, and sidepanels, one of said side panels being transparent, means, including ahopper, for continuously feeding material to be packaged from theexterior to the interior of the chamber through the top panel, means fordischarging packaged material through the bottom panel, said transparentpanel having apertures therethrough for the receptionof the hands of anoperator stationed on the exterior of the chamber, flexible meansattached to the said side panel for contacting the hands of the operatordisposed in the said apertures and for sealing the apertures with theoperators hands therein against the passage of gas, and means forsupplyinga conditioned atmosphere to the hopper and to the interior ofthe chamber.

4. An apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which the interior of thechamber is provided with a package filling station at one point behindthe transparent panel and a package sealing station at another pointbehind the transparent panel, and in which the transparent panel isprovided with a pair of said apertures in front of each station, wherebyone operator engaged in the filling of packages at the filling stationmay transfer the filled packages to another operator engaged in sealingthe packages.

5. An apparatus as defined by claim 4 in which the means for dischargingpackaged material from the chamber is disposed between the sealingstation and the corresponding apertures for the operator thereof.

6. An apparatus for packaging material comprising a chamber, a hopperabove said chamber, said hopper having an outletextending into theinterior of the chamber, means for feeding material to be packaged intothe hopper, means for discharging an inert gas into the hopper forconcurrent fiow into the chamber With the material to be packaged, saidchamber having an opening remote from the hopper outlet for dischargingpackaged material from the chamber, said chamber having a transparentpanel with hand holes between the hopper outlet and said opening, andflexible means for sealing said holes when the hands of an operator aredisposed therein.

7. An apparatus as defined by claim 6 and means ina dependent of saidhopper for discharging an inert gas into the chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

